Bush Versus Bremer

Yes, it’s a bit like picking sides in the Iran-Iraq War. Nevertheless, in light of the President’s efforts to convince the country that he has no idea why the Iraqi Army was disbanded, Paul Bremer’s decision to unleash the documentary evidence to The New York Times is certainly of interest. Bremer seems to have the goods here:

“We must make it clear to everyone that we mean business: that Saddam and the Baathists are finished,” Mr. Bremer wrote in a letter that was drafted on May 20, 2003, and sent to the president on May 22 through Donald H. Rumsfeld, then secretary of defense.

After recounting American efforts to remove members of the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein from civilian agencies, Mr. Bremer told Mr. Bush that he would “parallel this step with an even more robust measure” to dismantle the Iraq military.

One day later, Mr. Bush wrote back a short thank you letter. “Your leadership is apparent,” the president wrote. “You have quickly made a positive and significant impact. You have my full support and confidence.”

Of course, maybe when Bush said Bremer had his “full support and confidence” as he conducted these measures he had his fingers crossed behind his back and didn’t really mean it. Bet the liberal media didn’t consider that angle.